International Flight Insurance

What is International Flight Insurance?

Airline Insurance is a safety shield that protects you in case of flight-related mishaps. You can buy international flight insurance for your international flights. It is generally included under a comprehensive travel insurance policy. However, you can also get standalone travel insurance just for flights which is offered by certain insurers or under credit cards.

Flight insurance covers travellers from any adversities because of the fault of the airline or its staff. It covers many losses that you may end up incurring in case of a flight-related emergency. These range from checked-in luggage delay/loss by the airline to rare-case scenarios like flight hijacking.

Travel Insurance for Flight: Features

• Tackles in-flight emergencies
• Covers both pre & post-flight-related emergencies
• Provides baggage insurance
• Provides in-flight emergency medical coverage
• Reimbursement for bounced bookings of hotels and airline
• Offers flight hijacking cover

These benefits may vary from insurer to insurer, so make sure you check with the insurer before purchasing.

Why is International Flight Insurance Important?

Travelling by air is one of the most preferred transports today, whether for a domestic trip or international. People prefer flights as they are the quickest way of reaching from one destination to another. Reduced airfare has made it economical as well as more convenient for people to opt for air travel. More and more people are travelling abroad for vacations and to pursue higher education.

However, anything adverse can happen before, during and right after the flight. This can be extremely uncomfortable and cost a lot of money. Consider these situations:

• What will you do if you get hurt during in-flight turbulence?
• What if you end up missing a connecting flight because your inward flight arrived later than scheduled?
• What if an emergency causes your flight to be delayed or even cancelled?
• As per the IATA, at least 7.6 pieces of baggage per 1,000 are lost during international transit. What if your baggage is one of them?

In all the circumstances, you will incur quite a loss and suffer a lot of inconveniences. By having international flight insurance coverage, you can keep yourself and your family safe from any adverse situation and expense.

What Does Flight Travel Insurance Cover?

international flight insurance safeguards an insured traveller against a variety of risks. While buying travel insurance for flights, look at some of the risks that should be covered:

1. Flight Delay

   Flight delays are a common affair. This can be because of weather conditions or some complicated technical reasons. A long flight delay can cause a lot of issues, such as physical exertion and additional expenses due to emergency accommodation or more.

   It may also force you to miss an important meeting or event abroad. Your expensive hotel booking or an important event for the day may go to waste. With airline insurance, you don't have to worry about these issues and subsequent losses. Your flight insurance coverage includes such losses because of flight delays.

2. Missed Connection Flight

   While travelling to far-off places, people usually take multiple flights with layovers to reduce costs and avoid long-haul flights. But sometimes there can be a delay in the arrival of an inward flight to the transit airport from which the connecting flight is scheduled.

   An unexpected delay may result in missing the connecting flight. Not only will it lead to the additional expense of purchasing another ticket but will also lead to suffering a loss in hotel reservations. Flight travel insurance coverage includes many such expenses and compensates the insured travelled for any losses incurred.

3. Trip Cancellation leading to Flight Cancellation

   There can be a situation arising before a journey that would make it difficult to continue with the trip. For example, you or someone in your family may get hospitalised days before the journey.Such situations will obviously force you to either postpone or cancel your trip altogether. Doing so would mean money loss, including non-refundable flight tickets. With flight travel insurance, you can get compensation for these losses.

4. Accidental Death & Dismemberment

   Trip insurance for flights covers any accidental death and dismemberment because of an unfortunate air accident. If the accident results in total permanent disability, the insurer will compensate you as per the flight insurance coverage. Moreover, if the injuries lead to an untimely death, the insurer will compensate the nominee.

5. Baggage Insurance

   Airlines are infamous for their rough handling of check-in luggages. Baggage delays are common in the case of international trips. The baggage either arrives late or is declared lost by the airline staff. In such a scenario, you will end up incurring unaccounted expenses on essentials such as clothes, toiletries and medicines.

   This will not only upset your trip budget but will also ruin your travel plans. Travel insurance plans also offer baggage insurance along with flight coverage. So, you don't have to worry about these extra expenses as your insurer will cover them.

6. Flight Hijack

   Though very rare, travelling by flight also puts one at the risk of facing a hijack. In case of a hijack, the insured will be paid compensation for the distress and the trouble they had to go through if they have an international flight insurance policy.

7. Medical Emergency

   Since life is unpredictable, staying cautious is the smartest way of travelling. Having travel insurance coverage is the right way to avoid mishaps. People who have travel insurance for international flights can benefit from airline insurance as it covers many in-flight medical emergencies. Financial losses because of injuries caused by flight accidents are covered by airline insurance.

How to Get Travel Insurance for Flights

Getting flight travel insurance for a journey by air is a quick and hassle-free process. You can buy flight insurance online in just a few minutes. Follow the steps given below to buy an airline insurance policy:

1. Compare Plans

   First, you must compare various airline insurance plans offered by different travel insurers online. Select the plan that fits all your needs and budget.

2. Provide Details

   Fill up the insurance proposal form and pay the premium online to buy flight insurance. Submit the form. Your policy will be issued in a few minutes.

Claim Process for International Flight Insurance

The claim procedure for flight insurance is similar to that of a travel insurance policy. Here are the steps to follow:

• Inform: You should inform your insurer or the assistance provider about the emergency.
• Follow Instructions: Make sure to follow the procedure they recommend so that you can file your claim smoothly. The assistance providers are accessible from all over the globe and provide support at any time of the day.
• Prepare Documents: Always keep your policy details handy so that you can immediately get assistance in case of an emergency.

Once the insurer verifies the claim, they will reimburse your air travel insurance claim. If you are wondering can you get insurance for flights only, you can do so but it is best to compare your options. If you are confused between international flight insurance vs travel insurance, opting for a comprehensive plan is always better.